Photo credit: California Department of Water ResourcesCALIFORNIA – The California Department of Water Resources (DWR) published a report, July 31, stating that the state’s water delivery capability and reliability could be reduced by as much as 23% in 20 years.
The department says this is due to changing flow patterns and extreme weather shifts. They say this underscores the need for California to continue addressing the impacts of climate change and upgrading infrastructure.
“These decreases in the availability of surface water deliveries can lead to supply shortages, an increase in groundwater demand, and reductions in available supplies to support groundwater replenishment,” said the DWR news release.
A 23% decline equals enough to supply 1,736,000 homes for a year
The paper – 2023 State Water Project Delivery Capability Report, says a 23% decline would be equivalent to about 496,000 acre-feet a year, enough to supply 1,736,000 homes for a year.
The department says that this reinforces the serious need for California to boost water supplies to account for any State Water Project (SWP) losses in the coming years.
The SWP spans more than 700 miles throughout California. It consists of canals, dams, reservoirs, pumping plants, and power plants that provide water to 27 million Californians and 750,000 acres of farmland.
“The SWP was designed for the climate of the 20th century when our precipitation fell as snow more reliably between October and May and we could capture that water effectively for future use,” said SWP Deputy Director John Yarbrough.
Yarbrough goes on to say that we need to continue to adapt and invest in the SWP, so that we can add resilience for 21st century conditions and avoid these losses in reliability.
Photo credit: Department of Water ResourcesBillion dollar effort to modernize the state’s water infrastructure
DWR says that they are developing a Climate Adaption Plan that includes the Delta Conveyance Project – a billion dollar effort to modernize the state’s water infrastructure.
“In addition to the Delta Conveyance Project, DWR is supporting efforts to advance Sites Reservoir, groundwater recharge, desalination, water recycling, and promoting continued water conservation,” said the news release.
To read the report visit https://data.cnra.ca.gov/dataset/finaldcr2023/resource/92356681-957a-48ee-97c4-529d25b9dbb2?utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery
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